Fun Easy English - Travel abroad Malaysia.

OFFICIAL NAME: Malaysia

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with an elected federal parliamentary government. The country is comprised of 13 states, 11 on the Malay Peninsula and two, Sabah and Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. There is also a federal district, which contains the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, the administrative center of Putrajaya, and the island of Labuan (located off the southwest coast of Sabah). Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country of 27 million people.

Malays form the predominant ethnic group. The two other large ethnic groups in Malaysia are Chinese and Indians. Islam is the national religion. Bahasa Malaysia is the official language, although English is widely spoken. Travelers to Malaysia may access information on areas of interest through the Malaysian government’s website at http://www.kln.gov.my/ and Tourism Malaysia’s website at http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my/.

PEOPLE

Malaysia's multi-racial society contains many ethnic groups. Malays comprise a majority of just over 50%. By constitutional definition, all Malays are Muslim. About a quarter of the population is ethnic Chinese, a group which historically played an important role in trade and business. Malaysians of Indian descent comprise about 7% of the population and include Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and Christians. Non-Malay indigenous groups combine to make up approximately 11% of the population.

Population density is highest in peninsular Malaysia, home to some 20 million of the country's 27 million inhabitants. The remaining 7 million live on the Malaysian portion of the island of Borneo in the large but less densely-populated states of Sabah and Sarawak. More than half of Sarawak's residents and about two-thirds of Sabah's are from indigenous groups.

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS

American citizens are required to have a passport valid for at least six months to enter Malaysia, but Americans do not need to obtain a visa in advance for a pleasure or business trip if their stay in Malaysia is 90 days or less. Upon or prior to entry into Malaysia, visitors will be given a Malaysian Disembarkation Card to complete and present to Malaysian immigration upon arrival. Immigration officials will then issue a social visit pass (visa) in their passport. While in Malaysia, Americans should carry their passports with them at all times.

Travelers are required to carry their passports for travel from peninsular Malaysia to eastern Malaysia (on the island of Borneo) and between the provinces of Sabah and Sarawak, both of which are on Borneo. Social visit passes (visas) issued at immigration points such as KLIA airport, Johor Bahru, and Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) for entry into peninsular Malaysia are not valid for entry into the state of Sarawak and usually have 3 months’ validity. New social visit passes must be obtained upon arrival at Kuching or Miri airports in Sarawak. In most cases, social visit passes issued by Sarawak immigration officials are valid for any part of Malaysia and usually have 1 month’s validity.

For more information on the latest entry procedures and requirements, contact the Embassy of Malaysia, 3516 International Court, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone: (202) 572-9700, the Malaysian consulates located in New York, telephone: (212) 490-2722, or Los Angeles, telephone: (213) 892-1238, or visit the Malaysian government’s web site, which has information on Malaysian embassies and consulates abroad at www.kln.gov.my. Overseas inquiries should be made at your nearest Malaysian embassy or consulate.

QUICK FACTS

Geography
Area: 329,749 sq. km. (127,316 sq. mi.); slightly larger than New Mexico.
Cities: Capital--Kuala Lumpur. Other cities--Penang, Ipoh, Malacca, Johor Baru, Shah Alam, Klang, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu
Terrain: Coastal plains and interior, jungle-covered mountains. The South China Sea separates peninsular Malaysia from East Malaysia on Borneo.
Climate: Tropical.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Malaysian(s).
Population (2006): 26.9 million.
Annual growth rate: 1.8%.
Ethnic groups: Malay 50.2%, Chinese 24.5%, indigenous 11.0%, Indian 7.2%, non-Malaysian citizens 5.9%, others 1.2%.
Religions: Islam (60.4%), Buddhism (19.2%), Christianity (9.1%), Hinduism (6.3%), Confucianism (2.6%), tribal/folk (0.8%), other (0.4%), none/unknown (1.2%).
Languages: Bahasa Melayu (official), Chinese (various dialects), English, Tamil, indigenous.
Education: Years compulsory--6. Attendance--98.5% (primary), 82% (secondary). Literacy--93.5%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2005)--5.1 /1,000. Life expectancy (2005)--female 76.2 yrs., male 71.8 yrs.
Work force (10.55 million, 2005): Services--51%; industry--36% (manufacturing--28.4%, mining and construction--7.6%); agriculture--13%.

Government
Type: Federal parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch.
Independence: August 31, 1957. (Malaya, which is now peninsular Malaysia, became independent in 1957. In 1963 Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore formed Malaysia. Singapore became an independent country in 1965.)
Constitution: 1957.
Subdivisions: 13 states and three federal territories (Kuala Lumpur, Labuan Island, Putrajaya federal administrative territory). Each state has an assembly and government headed by a chief minister. Nine of these states have hereditary rulers, generally titled "sultans," while the remaining four have appointed governors in counterpart positions.
Branches: Executive--Yang di-Pertuan Agong (head of state and customarily referred to as the king; has ceremonial duties), prime minister (head of government), cabinet. Legislative--bicameral parliament, comprising 70-member Senate (26 elected by the 13 state assemblies, 44 appointed by the king on the prime minister's recommendation) and 219-member House of Representatives (elected from single-member districts). Judicial--Federal Court, Court of Appeals, high courts, session's courts, magistrate's courts, and juvenile courts. Sharia courts hear cases on certain matters involving Muslims only.
Political parties: Barisan Nasional (National Front)--a coalition comprising the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and 13 other parties, most of which are ethnically based; Democratic Action Party (DAP); Parti Islam se Malaysia (PAS); Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). There are more than 30 registered political parties, including the foregoing, not all of which are represented in the federal parliament.
Suffrage: Universal adult (voting age 21).

Economy (2005)
Nominal GDP: $130.8 billion.
Annual real GDP growth rate: 7.1% (2004); 5.2% (2005).
Per capita (GDP) income: $5,042.
Natural resources: petroleum, liquefied natural gas (LNG), tin, minerals.
Agricultural products: palm oil, rubber, timber, cocoa, rice, tropical fruit, fish, coconut.
Industry: Types--electronics, electrical products, chemicals, food and beverages, metal and machine products, apparel.
Trade: Merchandise exports--$145.0 billion: electronics, electrical products, palm oil, petroleum, liquid natural gas, apparel, timber and logs, plywood and veneer, natural rubber. Major markets--U.S. 18.8%, Singapore 15.0%, Japan 10.1%. Merchandise imports--$118.0 billion: machinery, chemicals, manufactured goods, fuels, and lubricants. Major suppliers--Japan 16.1%, U.S. 14.6%, Singapore 11.2%.

USEFUL LINKS

U.S. Government

Miscellaneous

Mesra.net - Malaysia Directories & Information.